Translation of the meanings Surah Āl-‘Imrān - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary (in progress) - Page Number 68 - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

141 : 3

وَلِيُمَحِّصَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَيَمۡحَقَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ

(141) And ˹so that˺ Allah may purge the Believers and wipe out the Deniers.^[702]

[702] God consoles the Believers here for their setback in the Battle of Uḥud and tells them the Wisdom behind it. This, after the reasons behind it were spelled out in the previous ayas along with the remedy. (Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr)

142 : 3

أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعۡلَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ جَٰهَدُواْ مِنكُمۡ وَيَعۡلَمَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

(142) Or you thought that you would enter Paradise without Allah making known those who fought ˹in His cause˺ and those who are steadfast.

143 : 3

وَلَقَدۡ كُنتُمۡ تَمَنَّوۡنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن تَلۡقَوۡهُ فَقَدۡ رَأَيۡتُمُوهُ وَأَنتُمۡ تَنظُرُونَ

(143) You ˹Believers˺ were wishing for death before you met it; there you saw it with your own eyes!^[703]

[703] This is a reminder to the Believers, who missed the Battle of Badr, of their talk about wishing to meet the enemy and be struck down by them when they saw the great status the martyrs of that battle attained. It is said somewhat reprovingly to highlight that, while the Battle of Uḥud is being alluded to here, solid intentions and steadfastness, not mere fancy talk, are what actually win battles. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)

144 : 3

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٞ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُۚ أَفَإِيْن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَسَيَجۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ

(144) Muhammad is no more than a Messenger who comes in a line of Messengers^[704], should he die or be killed, would you ˹then˺ turn on your heels?^[705] Whoever turns his heels, he would not scathe Allah in the least. Allah will reward the thankful^[706].

[704] Messengers are nothing more than human. The laws of nature apply to them too.
[705] This smacks of the faltering position that some Muslims, lurking in the ranks of whom were hypocrites, took when it was rumoured at one time during the Battle of Uḥud that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) had met his death.
[706] Those who realize God’s bounties on them and show practical thankfulness in striving for His cause. (al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)

145 : 3

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ كِتَٰبٗا مُّؤَجَّلٗاۗ وَمَن يُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡهَا وَمَن يُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡهَاۚ وَسَنَجۡزِي ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ

(145) No soul will die without Allah’s permission, ˹theirs is˺ a preordained precise timing^[707]. Whoever wants the reward of the worldly life, We will give him from it; and whoever wants the reward of the Hereafter, We will give him from it; We will reward the Thankful.

[707] This fact is stated by way of encouraging the Believers to fight in Allah’s cause.

146 : 3

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيّٖ قَٰتَلَ مَعَهُۥ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٞ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا ٱسۡتَكَانُواْۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

(146) ˹Like˺ Many a Prophet with whom a great many of the godly fought, they did not lose heart at what befell them in the cause of Allah, neither did they weaken nor cower down^[708]—Allah loves the steadfast.

[708] Submit to their enemy.

147 : 3

وَمَا كَانَ قَوۡلَهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسۡرَافَنَا فِيٓ أَمۡرِنَا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ

(147) Their only say was that: “Our Lord, absolve us of our sins and our ˹reckless˺ excesses, make firm our feet^[709] and grant us victory over the Denying people”^[710].

[709] Make us stand firm.
[710] This Prayer is very similar to that of the godly soldiers who fought with Saul against Goliath (cf. 2: 250). True Believers, although realizing the difficulty of the circumstance they are put in, summon their courage to face the situation relying on God and Praying to Him to make them stand firm.

148 : 3

فَـَٔاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَحُسۡنَ ثَوَابِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

(148) Allah gave them the reward of the worldly life and the most fine^[711] reward of the Hereafter—Allah loves good doers.

[711] Winning God’s Pleasure and eternal bliss in the Heavenly abode of Paradise. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)